Anatomy of a tin whistle?

[Feadoggie]

Is the 'Block' also known as the fipple?

Yep! From Merriam-Webster, fipple: a grooved plug in the end of a whistle, flute, or organ pipe.

Therefore the humble blockflute, aka:recorder.

Feadoggie

[highwood]

does it need to be grooved to be considered a fipple?

[maki]

Aren't all fipples groovy?

[DrPhill]

I like the comment on "ceiling" instead of roof - that's worth changing the drawing over.

A sticky on whistle anatomy at the top of the forum might be very helpful, Daniel. What do you think? What do the moderators think?

If you are revisiting the diagram, then 'windway entrance' and 'windway exit' (or their equivalent terms) might be useful labels. As would an indication of the location of infamous 'cavity that could be filled'.

If there is a sticky for 'Whistle Anatomy' it might be nice to have a diagram of the whistle hole nomenclature (T1,T2,T3,L1,L2,L3). [I am not suggesting you should do all this, Daniel, I am widening the discussion.]

[Peter Duggan]

I like the comment on "ceiling" instead of roof - that's worth changing the drawing over.

A sticky on whistle anatomy at the top of the forum might be very helpful, Daniel. What do you think? What do the moderators think?

AFAIC the roof is the roof, always has been (surely the more common name for it!) and always will be...

[jiminos]

I personally make them where the blade edge aligns with the floor. There's thousands of ways to make whistles. A Tin Whistle is truly an example of "Infinite diversity through infinite combinations".

I like the comment on "ceiling" instead of roof - that's worth changing the drawing over.

makes sense... a ceiling is inside... a roof is outside.

be well,

jim

[GregB]

First an introduction - Im new to whistle making and playing (about 6 months) and have been enjoying both immensely! In particular, I have enjoyed pouring over the wealth of craftsmanship knowledge contributed by C&F members. I have about 10 brass whistles under my belt and still can't believe how much better each one gets. So a big "Thank you" to all those craftsmen who generously share their trade and encourage newbies like myself.

A beginners insight on anatomy - Feadoggies pic is probably the one that has been most useful reference to me over my last 6 months of whistle making. Recently I discovered a important element not featured in the picture: the walls on either side of the voicing window (as Jerry calls the space between the wind way and the labium). Strictly speaking, these walls cant be shown in the pic since they are not part of the lengthwise cross cut.

I spent hours wrestling with a newly made head that sounded more like a wind tunnel than a whistle. I had naively cut away material around the voicing window so that the lengthwise sides (the walls) were flush with the labium, ....the same height. It just wouldnt sound for me! Then I accidentally put an index finger on each side of the voicing window, framing it if you will, and WALLA!! A musical instrument was born!

When I went back to my growing collection of metal whistles I admire (Mack Hoover being an outstanding example for me personally, both the whistles and the person), sure enough, there be WALLS around those voicing windows!

If you are working in PVC, which is thick, the walls are a feature of the material. But if you are a beginner working with metal, like me, its easy to miss this very important parameter! Of course there are many ways to frame the window using either the main tube or adding a separate 'part' to the design. Im playing with adding an adjustable frame-ring that can be tweaked.

going back to lurk now

Maybe this might be of interest.


Feadoggie

[MTGuru]

Feadoggies pic is probably the one that has been most useful reference to me over my last 6 months of whistle making.

For the record, Daniel Bingamon created that diagram and deserves the credit.

[Feadoggie]

Feadoggies pic is probably the one that has been most useful reference to me over my last 6 months of whistle making.

For the record, Daniel Bingamon created that diagram and deserves the credit.

Quicker than lickety spit (whistle friendly terminology!). I was just about to remind folks of the same. As I noted above (but months ago), the pic is on Daniel's site here:. http://www.kingsmills.us/jubilee/store/fipterm.htm

Feadoggie

[Loren]

The open bottom end of a whistle or other woodwind is sometimes called the bell end. Makes sense on a flared instrument like a clarinet or oboe, but not really on a whistle.

Sorta does when you consider that the bottom note of a woodwind (bell shaped bottom or not) is often referred to as the "bell note"

[Loren]

With regards to ceiling vs roof: My experience, having worked in a recorder making shop, is that in the convention in the recorder world is to use the roof. Now that alone may be reason enough to change your diagram to say ceiling, Daniel. lol.

[MTGuru]

The open bottom end of a whistle or other woodwind is sometimes called the bell end. Makes sense on a flared instrument like a clarinet or oboe, but not really on a whistle.

Sorta does when you consider that the bottom note of a woodwind (bell shaped bottom or not) is often referred to as the "bell note"

Yeah, there are bells, and there are bells.

[MTGuru]

With regards to ceiling vs roof: My experience, having worked in a recorder making shop, is that in the convention in the recorder world is to use the roof.

Well, the roof of the mouth should probably be the ceiling, too. But it's roof by long conventional usage, and provides the analogy. If you think 3D in terms of objects instead of 2D in terms of surfaces, you need a single term; and roof seems a stronger candidate to me. This is where a fancy Latin term like tectum or tegmentum would come in handy. Ipso facto.

[Loren]

With regards to ceiling vs roof: My experience, having worked in a recorder making shop, is that in the convention in the recorder world is to use the roof.

Well, the roof of the mouth should probably be the ceiling, too. But it's roof by long conventional usage, and provides the analogy. If you think 3D in terms of objects instead of 2D in terms of surfaces, you need a single term; and roof seems a stronger candidate to me. This is where a fancy Latin term like tectum or tegmentum would come in handy. Ipso facto.

FWIW, the applicable definition of ceiling from Websters:

Definition of CEILING

1
a : the overhead inside lining of a room
b : material used to ceil a wall or roof of a room

So technically the skin on the roof of your mouth would be the ceiling, but the roof is still the roof structurally, so it seems aptly named. Since there is no lining on the inside of a whistle or recorder's bore where the area in question is formed, then once again, Roof is the most correct definition of that bit of instrument anatomy. Seems the geezers who named stuff back in the day were onto something.

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Thanks Loren,
It has been named the roof for a long time.